Women Marketers Driving Digital Transformation in ICT Outsourcing

Mpho Hlefana is a marketing leader known for her strategic expertise and innovative approach. As Managing Executive: Marketing, she drives revenue-focused initiatives, blending traditional branding with digital innovation. With extensive B2B experience in ICT, she excels in go-to-market strategy, branding, and leadership development.

In an insightful interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Mpho shares her insights on the evolving role of digital transformation in ICT outsourcing, highlighting how women marketers can adapt, balance traditional and digital strategies, foster collaboration, and turn technological challenges into growth opportunities.

Given the evolving role of digital transformation in ICT outsourcing, how do you foresee women marketers adapting to the increasing demand for integrated marketing solutions in this sector?

Women marketers are central to the digital transformation within ICT outsourcing by integrating technology with customer-focused strategies. As the demand for seamless, data-driven solutions grows, women bring adaptability and strategic insight to marketing efforts, ensuring alignment with the evolving landscape of ICT services. They leverage technologies like AI, automation, and data analytics to craft personalised campaigns, making sure these resonate with various audiences—from corporate decision-makers to underserved communities. In South Africa, where ICT contributes significantly to the GDP, women are well-positioned to use digital tools for integrated marketing. However, the sector still sees underrepresentation of women in tech jobs, which emphasizes the need for continued investment in their skills development and participation in the ICT outsourcing domain.

How do you balance traditional branding strategies with new, innovative digital techniques? How can women leaders uniquely contribute to this balance in today’s competitive market?

Balancing traditional branding with innovative digital techniques requires a strategic blend of storytelling and technology. Women leaders excel in this by leveraging their empathetic and adaptable leadership styles. They champion purpose-driven brand narratives that build trust while integrating digital tools such as AI-driven personalisation, data analytics, and interactive content to enhance engagement. In South Africa, 76% of consumers prefer to buy products from brands they feel connected to, while 57% are willing to pay more for such brands. Women marketers, who hold approximately 60% of marketing positions but only 30% of senior leadership roles, play a key role in ensuring brands maintain authenticity while embracing digital transformation. By fostering collaboration between creative and tech teams, they ensure a seamless fusion of traditional brand values with cutting-edge digital strategies.

In your view, what role do women play in creating memorable, immersive customer experiences that resonate with diverse audiences, especially in the tech outsourcing landscape?

Women marketers excel in crafting immersive customer experiences by prioritising inclusivity, personalisation, and real-world impact. Their ability to blend data with intuition allows them to create marketing strategies that resonate across diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. In the tech outsourcing sector, they drive customer engagement by integrating accessible digital platforms, ensuring AI-driven marketing solutions do not reinforce biases, and delivering content that reflects the needs of different market segments. Women influence 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, making their insights invaluable in shaping customer experiences. Additionally, 71% of consumers prefer personalised shopping experiences, and 82% are willing to share data for a customised experience, highlighting the growing demand for customer-centric marketing approaches.

As a seasoned leader, how do you empower female marketers to build strategic relationships that foster collaboration and drive long-term business success in this industry?

Empowerment comes from mentorship, advocacy, and providing platforms for visibility, but it’s also about ensuring that female marketers have the tools and opportunities to build strategic, long-term industry relationships. Through initiatives like Wired4Women, I actively create spaces where women can network with industry leaders, gain leadership insights, and access business growth opportunities. However, visibility alone isn’t enough—women marketers need to be integrated into strategic conversations and decision-making processes that shape the future of ICT outsourcing.

Building strong strategic relationships requires cross-functional collaboration, connecting female marketers with key stakeholders, technology partners, and clients to deepen their industry influence. I encourage a capacity-building culture within teams, where emerging leaders are supported through mentorship, coaching, and real-world experience in negotiations, stakeholder management, and business development. Ensuring that women marketers are not only part of these discussions but are also leading them, strengthens their ability to drive collaboration, close deals, and create long-term business success.

Mentorship programmes have been shown to improve leadership representation by 30%, underlining their impact. Women hold 25% of C-level executive roles at top companies, proving that fostering strategic relationships is key to breaking barriers and achieving business success.

With personalization and data-driven strategies becoming the norm, how can women in marketing harness these tools effectively to reach untapped segments in the ICT outsourcing space?

Women marketers excel at blending data-driven insights with contextual intelligence to reach untapped segments in the ICT outsourcing space. In African markets, where structured data may be limited, they leverage alternative data sources—such as community feedback, social media sentiment, and informal market behaviours—to refine personalisation strategies.

Beyond data collection, women marketers play a key role in ensuring that AI and machine learning models are inclusive, culturally aware, and free from bias. By integrating human-first marketing approaches, they craft campaigns that authentically connect with diverse audiences, fostering trust, engagement, and long-term brand loyalty.

Targeted content strategies are crucial, as 76% of consumers prefer personalised brands, and 95% of customer interactions are expected to be powered by AI by 2025. By integrating human-first marketing approaches, they craft campaigns that authentically connect with diverse audiences, fostering trust and long-term brand loyalty.

Looking ahead, what unique challenges do women face in steering marketing strategies amidst rapid technological advances, and how can these challenges be turned into growth opportunities?

Women in marketing often face challenges such as underrepresentation in leadership roles, unconscious bias in tech-driven decision-making, and the need for greater mentorship in digital marketing specialisations. However, these challenges present growth opportunities through advocacy for diversity in AI and digital transformation, increased investment in skills development for women in tech, and the expansion of mentorship-driven initiatives like Wired4Women. By positioning themselves as key drivers of ethical, inclusive, and innovative marketing strategies, women can shape the future of ICT outsourcing and digital transformation in Africa.